Bernadotte Museum

The beautiful stone house in front of you is the birthplace of Jean-Baptiste Bernadotte. You might not be familiar with the name, but we are actually talking about the King of Sweden and Norway! As unlikely as it may seem to you, it’s true. Born into an unassuming middle-class family, this little boy from Pau had a remarkable military career, progressing through the ranks one by one, thanks to victorious battles and good troop management, before finally becoming heir to the Kingdom of Sweden. He became a general during the Revolution, and then Marshal of the Empire under Napoleon, the highest French military distinction of the time. In 1807, he was appointed governor of the Hanseatic cities of northern Germany and settled in Hamburg. He was ordered to prevent the British from invading Denmark and to be ready to invade Sweden. I will spare you the ups and downs of the wars and their alliances, but the fact remains that in the course of his battles and expeditions, Bernadotte was approached to be the crowned prince of Sweden. The country was experiencing a major succession problem. The king had been deposed in favour of his uncle, who was old and without descendants. A Swedish prince was chosen to be his heir, but the latter died accidentally in 1810. Other countries suggested princes from high society, but to everyone’s surprise, a group of Swedish officers put forward Bernadotte’s name. His management skills and stormy relations with Napoleon made him an ideal candidate. It is worth mentioning that at the time, all European courts spoke French. So it was no problem for Bernadotte to take on his duties. Upon the passing of the reigning king, he was crowned King of Sweden and Norway, under the name of Charles XIV. His coronation was met with great enthusiasm in both countries, and the new sovereign was congratulated by many monarchs. You can visit his birthplace which was turned into a museum retracing the astonishing life of this little boy from Béarn who became king of Scandinavia.